Improvement in chair-seats and sofa-bottoms



UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

J. W. KIMBALIJ, OF BOS FON, AND JOHN MAHADY, OF CAMBRIDGE,

MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN CHAIR-.SEATS AND SOFA-BOTTOMS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 42,858, dated May 24, 1864.

.To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that we, J. W. KIMBALL, of Boston, in the county ot' Suffolk, and JOHN MAHADY, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex, both in the State ot Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Upholstering; andfwe do hereby declare that the following, taken in connection with the drawings which accompany and form part ot this specitication, is a description of our invention suicicnt to enable those skilled in the art to practice it.

In upholstering or cushioning the seats of furniture-as, for instance, chairs, stools,sofas, lounges, &c.-it is of great advantage to have the edge-fi. e., the corner or angle formed at the angle or joining of the top surface and sides-uniform in its appearance, as well as soft and elastic. In cheap upholstering this edge is formed ot' wood and presents a uniform appearance, but from want of yielding qualities it is objectionable in use, inasmuch as while the body ot' the seat may be elastic, soft, and agreeable, the hard edge makes the seat as a whole disagreeable and uncomfortable. The soft yielding edge now made in connection with the best upholstering has the following deficiencies: First, its production requires a large amount of skilled labor; seeond, it is ditticult even for the most skillful to so produce the edge that bet'ore use it will have the desired uniformity ot' appearance; third, even when tolera-ble uniformity of rst appearance is attained, uniformity otl elasticity is almost always wanting; and, fourth, im-

mediately upon use the edge crushes out of shape consequent upon want of sufficient elasticity, and this trouble is aggravated by want ot uniformity of construction in various parts ot' the edge ot' the said seat. The edge, when c nnpressed and distorted by use, leaves the covering otl the seat loose andunsightly.

By this invention an upholsterers edge is obtained for seats, &c.,which possesses the requisite degree ot' softness, elasticity, uniformity, and cheapness, the latter quality being attained because ot' ease of application, though the cost ot' material is increased.

Said invention consists in `the employment of ready-formed strips, ot any desiredshape of cross-section, of suitable soft elastic magerial, felt being preibrred. This maybe ot' very coarse quality, and may be covered With paint or a coating of rubber, or it may be permeated with camphor or other material obnoxious or poisonous to moths or other vermin, the exclusion of which is the object ot' the paint or rubber coating mentioned. Rubber, for example, may be the material ot' the strip; or the strip may be made ot' other inaterials or compounds which will give the re quisite degree ot uniformity, softness, and elasticity.

In the drawings, Figure l shows in crosssection the sot't edge heretofore made by upholsterers. Fig. 2 shows in cross section our improved edge as applied in the formation ot' an ordinary seat.

ce shows part of the wooden frame-work of a seat, b, an ordinary spring used in upholstery c, a stout sackin g or cloth drawn over the spring and tacked to the frame. d represents another cloth or sacking, between which and the sacking c hair or other suitable filling is placed, the two sackings being stitched or quilted together.

In the ordinary'mode of upholstering the quantity of tilling near the edge is greater than it is just over the springs, and the sacking d is drawn over the filling and secured to the part of the frame. and by stitches e c e the top and front of the sacking cl and the tilting at the edge or corner are quilted or drawn together so as to give the form seen at h, Fig. 1.

The form of the upholstering, before the stitches e ce are drawn up tightly, is shown in Fig. 3.

When the seat or other article has been thusprepared, the coverin g f, of leather, hair, or other cloth, is then drawn over the whole, secured to the frame, and quilted or not, as

may be desired, and between this outer covy ering and the sacking d a layer of filling may be interposed, it' desired.

In Fig. 2 the edge is formed by securing to the frame our soft elastic strip, (shown by 9,) over which the outer covering is drawn and secured to the frame. This strip we prefer to have formed ot' felt, and it may be bent to all curves ot' the furniture, and may be made to form angles by removing portions from the inside, even without cutting entirely through the material. This strip may be butted together or scarfed when necessary to unite the ends of two pieces, and glue or other cement or stitches may be made to unite and hold the ends together.

rlhe strip maybe secured Lo the foundation, when this is ofwood,by glue, nails, or screws, and Where part of the strip rests upon'webhing stitches may be there used to secure the strip. A stout piece oi' canvas may be glued or cemented to the bottom of the strip, and projecting beyond it on both sides or on the front side alone, when it may be tacked in the rabbet usually cut in the front edge of furniture-frames at their top for reception of upholstering-eloths.

Holes for the reception of the nails or screws which secure the strip to the frame may be forint-d in the process of the manufacture oi" the pece g, or these holes may be afterward made by boring or punching. Then the edge is properly secured in place, the finished cover may be drawn over it and the sacking d, tilling being interposed between these to any necessary or desired amount. The edge g, being made uniform in size and density,requires no attention from the upholstcrer in applying it, and hence the increased cost of niaterialis rnore than counter-balanced by the saving of labor, and at the saine time the new edge, while being on the Whole the cheapest edge, is a better one in durability and uniformity, and goods prepared with it will bring a higher' price in the market.

XVe claiiny The employment of the edge piece or strip for an upholstered article, substantially as described. i

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our hands this 20th day of April, A. 1). 1864.

J. 7. KIMBALL. JOHN MAH ADY. Witnesses:

J. B. GRosnY, F. GoULD. 

